Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5

न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया

Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification

Devanagari script

सबिंदुकान्नकारादीन्वर्णान्न्यस्येदनुक्रमात् । अंगुलीषु शिवं न्यस्येत्तलयोरप्यनामयोः । अस्त्रन्यासं ततः कृत्वा दशदिक्ष्वस्त्रमंत्रतः । निवृत्त्यादिकलाः पञ्च पञ्चभूतस्वरूपिणीः

Transliteration

sabiṃdukānnakārādīnvarṇānnyasyedanukramāt | aṃgulīṣu śivaṃ nyasyettalayorapyanāmayoḥ | astranyāsaṃ tataḥ kṛtvā daśadikṣvastramaṃtrataḥ | nivṛttyādikalāḥ pañca pañcabhūtasvarūpiṇīḥ

Translation

พึงวางอักษรที่เริ่มด้วย “นะ” พร้อมบิณฑุ ตามลำดับเป็นนยาสะ แล้วพึงวางพระศิวะไว้ที่นิ้วทั้งหลาย และที่ฝ่ามือทั้งสองด้วย เพื่อความไร้โรคภัย ครั้นแล้วทำอัสตร-นยาสะ และด้วยอัสตรมนตร์ให้แผ่ไปในทิศทั้งสิบ (ดังนี้) กะลา ๕ ประการเริ่มด้วยนิวฤตติ มีสภาวะเป็นมหาภูตทั้งห้า

Word by Word

• स-बिन्दुकान्: with bindu (nasal dot)
• स-बिन्दुकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + बिन्दुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ('with bindu/anusvāra')

• नकार-आदीन्: the letter 'na' and others
• नकार-आदीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('na-kāra and others')

• वर्णान्: letters
• वर्णान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; कर्म

• न्यस्येत्: one should place (perform nyāsa)
• न्यस्येत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-स्य (धातु: न्यस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अनुक्रमात्: in due order; sequentially
• अनुक्रमात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; प्रकार/क्रमवाचक (by sequence)

• अंगुलीषु: on the fingers
• अंगुलीषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंगुली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; अधिकरण

• शिवम्: Śiva (mantra/name)
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म

• न्यस्येत्: one should place
• न्यस्येत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-स्य (धातु: न्यस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तलयोः: on the two palms
• तलयोः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative) / षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; (here) अधिकरणे—'on the two palms'

• अपि: also
• अपि: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: 'also')

• अनामयोः: of the two healthy (ones); free from ailment
• अनामयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनामय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; विशेषणम् (of the two—'free from disease')

• अस्त्र-न्यासम्: the astra-nyāsa (weapon-nyāsa)
• अस्त्र-न्यासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः; कर्म

• ततः: then
• ततः: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक/ततः-शब्द (adverb: 'then/thereafter')

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (कृत्) → कृत्वा
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having done'

• दश-दिक्षु: in the ten directions
• दश-दिक्षु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक) + दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु ('in the ten directions'); अधिकरण

• अस्त्र-मन्त्रतः: by the astra-mantra
• अस्त्र-मन्त्रतः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्/तस्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb): 'by means of/from the astra-mantra'

• निवृत्ति-आदि-कलाः: the kalās beginning with Nivṛtti
• निवृत्ति-आदि-कलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('kalās beginning with Nivṛtti')

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषणम्; (here) बहुवचनार्थे—'five'

• पञ्च-भूत-स्वरूपिणीः: having the form/nature of the five elements
• पञ्च-भूत-स्वरूपिणीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वरूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('having the nature of the five elements')

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied) na-ma-śi-vā-ya with bindu/anusvāra placements per nyāsa-prayoga

Type: panchakshara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches mantra-śarīra-bhāvanā: the sādhaka internalizes Śiva through nyāsa, establishing protection (astra) and recognizing the five kalās (powers/levels) as the subtle basis of the elemental cosmos—aligning the individual with Pati (Śiva) for purification and liberation.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Nyāsa makes the worshiper’s body a fit altar for Saguna Śiva—so Linga-pūjā is not merely external; Śiva is installed in the hands that perform abhiṣeka and offerings, and protection is invoked in all directions before approaching the Linga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform kara-nyāsa (placing the Panchākṣarī beginning with “na” with bindu) on fingers and palms, then do astra-nyāsa and directional protection with the Astra-mantra, while contemplating the five kalās (starting with Nivṛtti) as corresponding to the five great elements.